China is calling out Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s latest discriminatory action for what it is.
Chinese officials slammed Rubio’s actions for “unjustifiably” revoking visas for Chinese students whom Rubio claimed have “connections” to the Chinese Communist Party.
“This politically discriminatory move exposes the hypocrisy of America’s long-proclaimed values of freedom and openness, and will only further damage the United States’ international image and credibility,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
FILE - American flags are displayed together with Chinese flags on top of a trishaw in Beijing, in 2018.
On one hand, Rubio’s attack raises tensions between the U.S. and China, adding fuel to the fire as President Donald Trump wages a trade war against a top economic power. On the other hand, the Trump administration’s actions are part of its ongoing attack on higher education.
Since taking up as secretary of state, Rubio has robbed hundreds of students of their education in the U.S. because they were identified as participating in an on-campus protest. He is also pulling students’ visas based on social media posts that the administration didn’t agree with, and he’s even destroyed dreams over minor traffic violations.
All these moves also fit in within broader themes of the Trump administration’s racism and hatred of immigrants.
This week, the Trump administration halted visa appointments altogether so that it can further scrutinize prospective students’ social media activity.
It’s unclear if the attack on international students is intended to stifle universities’ income, which is boosted by international students’ tuition. And it’s possible that colleges will try to make up some of that revenue loss by raising tuition costs for domestic students.
For the Trump administration, it may be a win-win-win: They get to harm higher education, curtail free speech, and be xenophobic all at the same time.
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